Following the conclusion of the United Nations Joint Programme on Human Rights on 31 July, the UN Country Team in the Philippines continues to work with the government on further strengthening the country’s human rights mechanisms through the development of the Fourth Philippine Human Rights Plan (PHRP4). On 9 October, UN Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez and heads of the UN’s specialized agencies met with representatives of the lead government agencies involved in drafting the PHRP4, including the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat, National Council for Disability Affairs, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Justice, Department of Migrant Workers, Committee on the Welfare of Children, Philippine Commission on Women, and National Commission on Indigenous Peoples. The meeting was convened to share information on the consultation process undertaken by the Government, explore possible areas of collaboration, and provision of technical advice and global knowledge. “Human rights is one of the three pillars of the United Nations, making it extremely relevant to all three pillars of the Cooperation Framework that the Government and the UN signed last year. This new agreement emphasizes partnership with the government, so we take the lead from the government’s own development frameworks, such as this forthcoming Philippine Human Rights Plan,” said Mr. Gonzalez. The Resident Coordinator shared that various UN agencies have engaged in different areas of human rights, including protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, non-discrimination, prison conditions, rights of migrant workers and refugees, and promotion of gender equality among others.  Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat (PHRCS) Executive Director Severo S. Catura meanwhile provided key updates on the development of the PHRP4.  He noted the active engagement of a broad range of government agencies. Moreover, in the past months the PHRCS has conducted consultations with around 485 civil society organizations in different parts of the country.With the UN’s technical and financial support, seven consultations with over 600 civil society organizations and local government representatives were organized across the country to collect grassroots information and knowledge to enrich the PHRP. The document will be organized with one chapter each for the eight human rights treaties ratified by the Philippines, plus an additional chapter on emerging issues. The PHPR4  will be launched on 10 December or Human Rights Day.     

Suraida ‘Sur’ Amil joined the Bangsamoro Islamic Women Auxiliary Brigade (BIWAB) as an 18-year-old with the with the goal of achieving autonomy for the predominantly Muslim regions of Mindanao.After an agreement was signed to end the insurrection and provide a greater autonomy and self-governance for the people of Bangsamoro, she participated in a reconciliation programme supported by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to reintegrate and rehabilitate former combatants.  Here are her views, to commemorate The International Day of Non-Violence, which is observed annually on 2 October.“From an early age growing up in Bangsamoro, I saw how difficult life was for my parents. They faced different forms of discrimination and they witnessed the brutality of the nine-year-long  martial law which was declared in 1972 and which deeply affected many communities across Mindanao, including Muslim populations.My parents had a hard life, they lived in poverty and were not able to achieve their dreams. This has affected my life and the life of my nine other siblings. I had hoped to become a teacher but I was never able to do so as I did not finish school due to the lack of financial support.At eighteen I realized I had to fight for the rights of our people for our self-determination, not just for my generation but also for future generations.A friend of mine was a member of BIWAB and as soon as I heard about its goals, it made me think about the suffering my parents had experienced and what I could do to improve the situation for our community.If you ask me whether I would choose war or peace, of course I would never choose war over peace, but we had to fight for that peace. I spent time operating in the jungles as a combatant. It was a harsh environment living in the mountains alongside wild animals without the comforts of home.But women are very strong; they have the ability to become fighters while at the same time be providers for their families.Ballpens not guns, jilbabs not military uniformsIn 2014 the peace agreement for Bangsamoro (the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, CAB) was signed and so little by little we are transforming ourselves into civilians. I have swapped my combat boots for lipstick, I carry ballpens for writing rather than a gun for shooting, I wear a jilbab and not a military uniform and I have moved out of the jungle and back into my community.I have become a peace facilitator and work with people in my local area on issues such as gender-based violence and how to prevent violent extremism.Islam teaches us to be kind to one another and not to harm other human beings. We have a saying in Islam that if we save one life, it is as if we have saved humanity.I value and am proud of my role as a peace advocate in my community.As part of the workshop discussion on modern forms of communications, which I participated in, I learned how to promote the awareness and prevention of violent extremism on social media. I am now living a life of peace but my message to my young daughter has always been that she should always fight for her rights.When you are fighting for a noble cause, it doesn’t matter if you gain or you lose something, because it is the cause itself which truly matters.”  Suraida Amil participated in the Strategic Communications workshop on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) under the EU-STRIVE programme.This article was originally published on UN News.  

Sheilamar Saliganan-Abadia, Assistant Prosecutor in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, has worked in the Philippine justice system for nearly two decades. Throughout her career, she has dealt with many cases involving suspicious deaths.“Being a prosecutor for 16 years, I primarily relied on the Certificate of Death [in preparing cases for prosecution], but I realized that they are not really accurate all the time,” she said. “[Learning more about] autopsies made me realize that.”Ms Saliganan-Abadia was one of 42 law enforcement and justice sector personnel trained on guidelines called the Minnesota Protocol in a series of workshops organized by the United Nations Joint Programme on Human Rights (UNJP-HR).The Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death is an internationally recognized practical guide for police, crime scene investigators, medical practitioners, lawyers, and others tasked with investigating suspicious deaths.Originally conceived by the Minnesota Lawyers International Human Rights Committee in the 1980s, the Protocol was formally adopted by the United Nations in 1991 and revised in 2016. It sets standards and details procedures for collaborative forensic investigations that effectively respond to and ensure accountability for violations of the right to life.To boost knowledge and use of the Protocol in the Philippines, the UNJP-HR, led by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), has been working with the Philippine government and civil society organizations to enhance collaboration among investigating agencies and strengthen forensic capacity.In 2023 and 2024, five training workshops, including trainings of potential trainers on the Minnesota Protocol, were held for representatives of the Philippine National Police (PNP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and civil society actors and academics.International and national forensic experts from the medical, legal and investigation fields led and facilitated interactive sessions on crime scene investigations, interviews of suspects and witnesses, the excavation of graves, post-mortem examinations, and the analysis of skeletal remains.Since taking part in the training, Ms Saliganan-Abadia has worked to cascade the lessons she has learned to other government officials in Cebu and the rest of the Western Visayas region.“The Minnesota Protocol builds on best international practice and is considered the ‘gold standard’ when it comes to investigations,” said Signe Elneff Poulsen, UN Philippines’ Human Rights adviser who is at the helm of the UNJP-HR. “These workshops develop skills and provide opportunities to discuss how to consistently apply the Protocol. Including government actors with different roles and civil society strengthens mutual understanding and builds trust—critical when these skills are applied in the field. That is why all our workshops focus on practical application.”To facilitate the implementation of the Protocol, the UNJP-HR organized a study visit of Philippine officials to Argentina for a knowledge exchange on investigations of potentially unlawful deaths as a part of South-South and Triangular Cooperation on strengthening forensic capacity in the country.‘South-South cooperation’ refers to the collaboration and exchange of resources, technology, and skills between developing countries in the Global South. Meanwhile, triangular cooperation also involves technical cooperation between two developing countries, facilitated by multilateral organizations like the United Nations.The study visit to Argentina by representatives of the Medico-Legal Divisions of the PNP and NBI is an example of this kind of cooperation. It provided an opportunity for Filipino law enforcement and investigations officials to engage with and learn from counterparts in Buenos Aires.In June 2024, a delegation of five Filipinos met with key officials from Argentina’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, Ministry of Justice, the Directorate of Human Rights and the Ministry of Security.They also visited the laboratories and facilities of the Argentine Team of Forensic Anthropology, the Forensic Genetics Laboratory of Gendarmería Nacional, the Forensic Medicine Laboratory of the National Police, and the National Bank of Forensic Data, among other sites, to learn their best practices and the sustainability of their human rights efforts.Police Major Pete Malino, a PNP medical doctor who has been serving as a resource person for government agencies, particularly the DOJ, for forensics training using the OHCHR methodology, was one of the delegates. “It’s amazing how Argentina prioritizes forensic investigation, which can be shown in their advanced forensic lab and equipment," he said.The visit served as both an opportunity for learning exchange and a pioneering example of triangular cooperation between the governments of the Philippines and Argentina, facilitated by the United Nations.Highlighting the importance of such exchanges, Ricardo Luis Bocalandro, Argentina’s Ambassador to the Philippines said: “We believe that South-South cooperation between Argentina and the Philippines plays an important role in fostering mutual understanding, collaboration, and development between the two nations. In our recent joint activity, by sharing knowledge, resources, and best practices, both countries leveraged their strengths and expertise. The United Nations played a key role in facilitating and supporting this activity by providing a platform for dialogue, coordination and partnership.”United Nations Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez echoed the sentiment: “The series of trainings on the Minnesota Protocol is an example of how multilateral partnerships yield results that go beyond the impact in one country, and where one country’s leadership contributes to regional and even global progress in the implementation of standards.”For the Philippine government, the study visit is an important stepping stone towards a key priority in strengthening the justice sector.“Under the UNJP, we sent five medico-legal doctors to Argentina for a study visit on forensic science—another step for us to increase our competency on this matter and help establish a national forensic institute in the country,” said Justice Undersecretary Jesse Andres.But for Ms Saliganan-Abadia and Dr. Malino, furthering their knowledge on the Minnesota Protocol is a big step forward in ensuring more efficient and collaborative investigations into potentially unlawful deaths as part of their efforts and advocacies to attain justice for victims and their families.

To further strengthen the United Nations’ engagement with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), UN Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez met BARMM government officials, local communities and indigenous leaders during a recent five-day visit to the region.He visited several United Nations project sites for updates on the UN’s portfolio in the BARMM. “As the BARMM government navigates the complex transition to the normalization as part of the peace process, the United Nations Country Team in the Philippines will maintain its support to ensure sustainable development and lasting peace in the region,” Mr Gonzalez said.He consulted on support needed by regional authorities and residents, including communities such as internally displaced peoples (IDPs) and members of non-Moro indigenous groups, which continue to face challenges amid the ongoing implementation of the Bangsamoro peace process and political transition. Camp transformationMr. Gonzalez visited one of the UN Development Programme’s (UNDP) camp transformation project sites—Camp Omar in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur. The camp is one of six Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) camps where UNDP provides livelihood and enterprise development assistance through the PROACTIVE project. The initiative is a joint effort of the UNDP, the European and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) to facilitate the transition and transformation of the former MILF camps into peaceful and productive communities. Representatives of joint national government and MILF peace mechanisms highlighted UNDP’s contributions to sustainable employment improved access to communal services and facilities and strengthened social cohesion through the participation of local stakeholders in peacebuilding. They requested further support, collaboration and complementation of other UN agencies and key partners to address funding challenges and other bottlenecks affecting camp transformation.Among the project beneficiaries Mr. Gonzalez met were non-Moro indigenous peoples (NMIPs) in the newly built tribal hall supported by UNDP in Kabengi, Datu Saudi Ampatuan. While highly appreciating the tribal hall and development than can benefit them, the NMIP communities and leaders shared concerns regarding the loss of their ancestral domains and the lack of engagement in decision-making affecting their communities.  He also met MP Froilyn Mendoza, a Teduray CSO leader who was nominated by the Philippine national government to represent NMIPs in the Bangsamoro Transition Authority. She informed the Resident Coordinator that indigenous groups that do not belong to the Moro majority in BARMM face security and protection challenges and continue to struggle for recognition of their rights as specified in the Bangsamoro Organic Law.  Building resilience of women and youthIn addition to camp transformation, the United Nations implements several other initiatives in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, a municipality at the center of the so-called SPMS box, a conflict-afflicted area that stretches across four municipalities in Maguindanao del Sur (Shariff Aguak, Pagatin in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Mamasapano, and Shariff Saydona). Communities within the SPMS box are vulnerable to displacement, either because of flooding or because of conflict between warring clans or between Philippine state forces and the ISIS-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). To help foster peace among communities in the area and support displaced women and youth, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) are working with the BARMM Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) and 28 community-based organizations (CBOs) to develop livelihood opportunities resilient to conflict and disaster.With funding support from the Australian Government, the FAO-UNFPA joint programme on Resilient Livelihoods Development enables women and youth IDPs to participate in sustainable agricultural activities such as agri-based food processing and climate-resilient vegetable gardening. Mr. Gonzalez met with project beneficiaries in the barangay of Dapiawan for a dialogue on addressing the ongoing challenges faced by CBOs within the context of cyclical displacement.He also visited the Women-Friendly Space (WFS), a critical component of the joint programme supported by UNFPA. WFS facilitators discussed their vital work supporting rural health units in delivering essential maternal, sexual, and reproductive health services, and preventing and responding to gender-based violence, particularly in remote and crisis-affected areas of Maguindanao.  Internal displacementAt the time of Mr. Gonzalez’s visit, United Nations entities were closely monitoring and assisting flood-affected communities in several provinces in BARMM that were devastated by severe flooding and landslides brought on by heavy rainfall over the region compounded by watershed degradation which encompasses the ancestral domain of the non-Moro IPs. This demonstrated the linkage between the need for protection of NMIP ancestral domains upstream and mitigation of devastating flash floods downstream impacting primarily Moro communities. In Matanog, Maguindanao del Norte, he engaged with municipal officials and IDPs whose homes were permanently destroyed by flash flooding to identify the most pressing and intermediate needs in order to determine the support required for a coordinated response from humanitarian, government partners and development partners for a longer-term, durable response. The United Nations continuously tracks displacement incidents due to disaster or conflict across Mindanao and works closely with regional and local authorities to provide immediate humanitarian assistance and develop durable solutions to help address the root causes of displacement. Of the 182,400 people who are currently displaced across Mindanao, more than 80,000 – or about 44% – were protractedly displaced by the 2017 Marawi conflict. Seven years since the armed confrontation between government forces and pro-ISIS militants, UN entities remain on the ground to assist in the continuing rehabilitation and reconstruction of the city and to support affected communities as attested by the International Organization of Migration’s establishment of a field office in Marawi.Mr. Gonzalez met IDP leaders, partners and beneficiaries of projects supported by IOM and UNICEF in Marawi to gain a deeper appreciation of the challenges faced by the province and city negatively impacting durable solutions for the IDPs from the Most Affected Areas (MAA) in Marawi. As temporary shelter agreements expire after five years, Marawi IDPs have been served eviction notices unless they pay for rent and utilities which they cannot afford due to the lack of livelihoods. Mr. Gonzalez visited Barangay Pugaan, one of the locations of the KOICA-funded IOM initiative to support sustainable community integration of IDPs which showcased community livelihoods and services supported by the communities and local government including a daycare center, madrasah (Arabic school) and tarpaulin printing business that provides jobs. During his visit, the Resident Coordinator went to the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) supported by UNICEF to reaffirm the United Nations’ commitment to improving communities’ access to quality, efficient and equitable health services. During the recent measles outbreak in Lanao del Sur, joint UN support to the IPHO from UNICEF, WHO, IOM and UNFPA became instrumental in combating the disease.He assured youth, civil society and IDP leaders and partners that the United Nations will continue to work with them and with provincial and Marawi authorities to pursue sustainable and locally led solutions to displacement and other development issues, such as education, nutrition, water and sanitation, and social policy through initiatives like the European Union-funded UNICEF project “Building community resilience and delivery of essential services for post conflict recovery in Lanao del Sur / Marawi” and  the new joint programme recently launched by UNDP, IOM and the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Dubbed “Seeds for Peace,” the programme focuses on developing durable solutions for peace in the BARMM, particularly Marawi, the SPMS box, and the Upi Complex in Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte.With funding from the UN Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund, the project will also strengthen governance processes, conflict prevention and create a safe, voluntary and dignified pathway to resolve the concerns of displaced populations.Marawi rehabilitationAnother contribution of the United Nations to the reconstruction of Marawi is technical support for the rebuilding and operationalization of the Marawi City Jail, which was the first building to be destroyed during the fighting in the city in 2017. Mr. Gonzalez visited the facility, which benefited from policy advice from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which assisted in setting up operational procedures and services for the new correctional facilities to comply with international standards.  Now considered a model facility that fully aligns with the Nelson Mandela Rules on the minimum treatment of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), the jail will house high-risk PDLs and those with terrorism-related cases.It serves as a pilot and testing facility for jail management and human rights-based prison reforms in the Philippines.UN’s engagement in BARMMThroughout his visit, the Resident Coordinator recognized the remarkable work carried out by the Bangsamoro Transitional Authority and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity  to consolidate peacebuilding investments.Mr. Gonzalez assured his counterparts that as the BARMM prepares for its first elections in May 2025, the United Nations will further enhance its engagement with authorities and communities to help address pervasive issues such internal displacement, resilience and protection of vulnerable groups, land disputes—especially those concerning ancestral domain—and other emerging concerns of the region’s indigenous peoples.“The UN will remain fully engaged, in line with the requests of the national and regional authorities,” he said. “Support to BARMM is a key priority for the UN in the Philippines.”